Life is better stalking the edge of a river. Or casting to a fringe of ice when the trout are cruising, looking up. These days in March there is not much competition, and the trout are hungry.

The line sometimes blurs between a fly rod presentation and a spinning rod setup. Rig a couple of rods in advance. Here are some spin rigs and fly rod techniques you can bank on for trout in March.

MICRO JIGS

Consider an ultra-small and heavy, deep-running micro jig for probing deep slots in fast-moving water. Tied to mimic traditional trout flies, these new jigs meet a need for anglers who are comfortable fishing a deep running fly-style presentation on a spinning rod. The right rod is something like 7 feet long with 6-pound monofilament mainline or a light braid. The flies, I mean jigs, are heavy, tied on No. 12-8 hooks with short tails, short legs and collars. Colors and patterns are infinite, but the well-stocked box has staples like an egg-sucking leech style orange head with black body, brown, olive/black, rusty orange (crayfish imitation) and white.

Winter trout are more opportunistic, but they have not forgotten how to eat crawdads or sculpin. Use a fixed or sliding float and learn to mend and otherwise slow down the presentation to the speed of the water sliding along the bottom.

If micro jigs are hard to find, stop in a fly shop and look over the selection of tungsten balance leeches.

TROUT-SIZED SPINNER BAITS

In March and early April, a spinner is the best choice to go searching. A run-and-gun approach can pay off with more strikes. But on a slow-moving river or when casting from the shoreline over deeper water, it makes sense to experiment with various depths and retrieve rates. Cast, count to 10 and retrieve. On the next cast, count to 20 and so on.

One of my favorite trout lures over the last couple of years is a little bass-style spinner bait sized down for rainbows from a boutique Bend-based Trout Wizard Lure Co.. I found them on Instagram and started fishing them early in the season with good action from now into early April.

With a good trout spinner a person can stand in one place fan-casting, using the countdown system. Once a trout strikes, try to get the lure in that same depth again or switch over to another method.

TWITCHING PLASTIC

Small plastic worms produce as many fish as naturals. Three main colors produce in cold winter water — hot red, fluorescent pink and natural worm.

Start with 6-pound test main line tied to a barrel swivel. A sliding sinker is a good way to get the bait down but another option is to leave a tag on the main line knot and crimp on removable split shot. The leader should be about 20 inches terminated at a No. 10-8 single egg hook.

The bite can be hard to detect. Keep the index finger on the line to stay in touch with the bottom structure and set the hook at the slightest tug.

FLY ROD EGGS/BEADS

With whitefish spawning now we have a bait to match. Trout keying on whitefish spawn get used to gobbling the yellow eggs and it’s why some fly-fishermen tie on yellow wet flies without knowing the reason why the trout are biting. Steelhead may also be spawning, in which case the trout are eating orange eggs. In any case, small beads and tiny yellow worms can turn a rainbow’s head this month.

Go for a stealthy presentation in clear water with a bead about 2 inches up above the hook. One easy way to do it is to nail-knot a piece of clear mono on the leader and position it 2 inches above the hook acting as a stop.

Set the indicator (I like to use a plastic Thingamabobber) and put split shot on above the tippet knot (or swivel) and set the float about the depth of the water.

When a trout bites the bead the angler reacts with a short upward lift which tends to pull the bead through and pin the hook in the outside corner of the mouth.

A little snow and ice can be a good thing. When it’s too cold to slide a boat in the water, it’s easier for your fellow anglers to stay indoors in these waning weeks of winter.